Russian and Canadian sables bear the finest fur in the world. The over-hair is most lustrous, the wool close and soft, and the skin very fine and pliable. The fur is brown in colour, but varies in shades and texture with the different species of animal. Russian sable is by far the most valuable, and the finest skins come from the forests of Yakutsk in Siberia.

According to Russian law they are tribute to the Crown, and are therefore not marketable. But the present Emperor, like the two who preceded him, waives this right, and the finest sables all come to the London market, where Russian jobbers bid for them, and take a certain number of skins back for sale at retail prices in St. Petersburg. The best skins are of an ashen brown shade, merging into a dim black towards the back, and the blackest are by far the most valuable. A ready market for this choice fur is also found in New York and Paris.